Apple may be preparing to launch a new 17-inch widescreen LCD display in the first quarter of 2007. According to DigiTimes, "LCD vendors such as ViewSonic and Apple are set to launch 17-inch widescreen LCD monitors by year-end or the first quarter of 2007, according to industry sources." It should be noted that DigiTimes has never been particularly accurate in their Apple-product predictions. The bigger question is, would you be interested in a 17-inch display from Apple? It would be their first since discontinuing the 17-inch Studio Display in 2004.

I think many people will be interested in a 17" ACD (Apple Cinema Display). Price point will dictate whether or not they will purchase it. 20"+ monitors can be bought from Costco etc. for very low prices. The 17" ACD would have to come in <= 20" offerings ~$300 max. This is still quite expensive for a 17".

I personally have a 20" ACD, I wish I had went to a 23" but the prices were quite high at the time.

I don't think I would be that interested in a 17" Cinema. 17" inch displays are just too small for my liking. I would rather see Apple lower the price of the 20" Cinema and add some features like a built-in iSight.

I've always thought that Apple should have made an affordable display to offer along side the Mac mini. It seems like they have missed a giant sales opportunity. Some people will say just buy a 17" iMac, but I don't think that answers the question of having a nice headless product offering or bundle. Apple needs to face it, many us will never buy the iMac because of its all-in-one form factor. They really need to start catering to us with more products at different price points.

I'd consider getting one - not for myself, but for my parents - solely for the looks.

When purchasing an Apple monitor you are basically paying an extra price for a beautifully designed monitor, which is hard to justify for some, including myself. That's why I'll sticking with my 20" Dell.

Seeing as how the 20-inch display is $699, I'd assume Apple would price it near $400. Which is really expensive for a 17 inch display.

I'm thinking that 19" is more "in vogue" and becoming more affordable all the time. I'm not sure why Apple would want to offer a 17" at this point in the game. If they did make it, it would be a nice option for the mini. Perhaps a Mac mini bundle???_________________Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz, PowerMac G5 2.3 GHz, iMac Core Duo 17", MacBook Pro 2GHz, MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, Mac mini Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz. Multi-K9 Security System. No false alarms, just lots of sharp teeth.
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Offering a 17-inch ACD would erode sales of the entry-level iMac. The mini is designed to attract switchers, who will then trade up to the iMac at a later date. The price of a mini plus an ACD would be too close to the 17-inch iMac for this to be viable, I think._________________The Liberty Gun - out now from Pyr SF
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I think that proves one thing. A majority of people want their computer and display separated, especially switchers coming from the PC world. One look around the web and you'll see that most people either want a pumped up Mac mini with better video and 3 1/2" drive or a $1500 Mac Pro with single processor. And that probably scares Apple since their desktop line is centered around the iMac.

I might have bought it, if it was already available for some time, but since the cheapest Apple Widescreen is $ 1,052.20 in my country, I bought myself a also pretty nice 19" Dvi Widescreen made by HP for $ 284.78 , which is less than 1/3 of the price of the ACD, but I don't think the quality and looks are less than 1/3rd.! Sorry Apple, but with a reasonable priced computer does not belong a more expensive screen!____________________________________Jimę
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I think that proves one thing. A majority of people want their computer and display separated, especially switchers coming from the PC world. One look around the web and you'll see that most people either want a pumped up Mac mini with better video and 3 1/2" drive or a $1500 Mac Pro with single processor. And that probably scares Apple since their desktop line is centered around the iMac.

That is why you will not see a 17" display from Apple. They need to protect iMac sales.

I agree, and disagree, at the same time. I don't think a 17" ACD would errode iMac sales, because the iMac sells to a completely different customer. People who want all-in-one solutions are still going to buy the iMac, because it's the cheapest (and by far the best) all in one solution on the market. The 17" ACD is aimed squarely at MacMini owners. Those with the cash for a Mac Pro probably want a 20" anyways. Apple sees it as another way to get Mini owners to shop with them instead of laying down $450 for a monitor elsewhere. Keep the business in the family, right?

On the other hand, I have to wonder if the iMac is doomed in it's current form. More people want upgradability without a Mac Pro pricetag. If they can't get it from Apple, they'll go somewhere else. So maybe we're seeing the beginning of the end. Maybe the next iMac will be headless. A more powerful machine than the MacMini, build with desktop hardware, but not in the same class as the Mac Pro.

Of course, I could be wrong on both counts. I know that an all-in-one solution makes sense for a lot of people, like schools, business, users without heavy duty needs, etc. And it also makes upgrades simple. You go get a new one. Which keeps people coming back for more.

It'll be interesting to see what this does, if it happens._________________~ OffaBroadway~

On the other hand, I have to wonder if the iMac is doomed in it's current form..

I wouldn't say doomed, but it needs a refresh.

offa_broadway wrote:

]If they can't get it from Apple, they'll go somewhere else.

That's the problem! Where? I would buy a mid-level tower from Dell if it ran OS X.

offa_broadway wrote:

So maybe we're seeing the beginning of the end. Maybe the next iMac will be headless. A more powerful machine than the MacMini, build with desktop hardware, but not in the same class as the Mac Pro.

I don't see Apple EOL'ing the iMac or its AIO form factor in the near future. I think it would have to be a totally new product.

offa_broadway wrote:

And it also makes upgrades simple. You go get a new one. Which keeps people coming back for more.

Business 101!

I'm in that boat right now. And I can tell you, I will not be going back for seconds with an iMac. I want something new with a 23" or 24" display.

Going back to 17" displays for a sec. I said before that I don't think Apple will make one. Another reason why is people want bigger displays. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised to see them eliminate 17" iMacs in the near future. I could see them moving down the 20" iMacs to their place in the lineup_________________1.25GHz Mac Mini / 1.8GHz iMac G5 / 2.0GHz C2D Mac mini (2009)
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